Ard owen



*(NoModeL) J. MQLENNAN & R. OWEN.

Paddle Wheel. No. 238,947. Patented March 15,1881.

INFEIERQ, PNOTO-UTNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MGLENNAN, OF 84 FINSBURY PARK ROAD, AND RICHARD OWEN, OF ENGLANDLANE, HAVERSTOCK HILL, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

PADDLE-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,947, dated March15, 1881.

Application filed August 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN MGLENNAN, horologist, of 84. Finsbury ParkRoad, and RICH- ARD OWEN, wine-merchant, of England Lane,

Haverstock Hill, both in the county of Middlesex, England, have inventedImprovements in Machinery or Apparatus for Propelling Vessels, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention consists in a rotary propeller or wheel composed of adrum, with disks or flanges at its ends projecting beyond its peripheryand forming side walls, and a continuous serpentine blade fitting aroundsaid 1 drum, and extending from one wall to the other, and filling thespace between said walls, as hereinafter described.

The propeller or wheel is intended to be fitted on each side of thevessel at such a level that the lower surface of the drum will rest onthe water, and thereby increase the vessels power of flotation, the twodrums being caused to roll over the surface of the water as the vesselis propelled through it. The said con- 2 5 tinuous blade is arranged ina circle of larger diameter than that of the drum, and each successiveportion of the blade is caused, by the revolution of thepropelling-wheel, to act on the water inclosed within such portion andthe flange or wall on each side of it, as well as by the under surfaceof the drum, the only outlet for the water being in the rear of thewheel. By the blade acting on the water in closed, as stated, it will becaused to take a firm hold of the water, and the ordinary tendency of apaddle-wheel to produce a swell in the water will be obviated, therebyrendering our improved propeller the better adapted for use on canalsand rivers, where it is important to avoid injury to the banks thereof.It is also adapted to increase the speed of vessels, and for thispurpose more than one pair of drums or propelling-wheels may be appliedthereto.

In some cases the propelling-wheel may be constructed without a drum,the essential feature of the invention consisting, in the combination ofa continuous serpentine blade confined between two walls or inclosures,whereby 50 such propeller will be caused to act continually on thevolume of water contained between (No model.) Patented in England March11, 1880.

the said walls or inclosures, and with the increased efi'ect due to itslateral confinement.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate a propelling-wheelconstructed in the manner above referred to.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a propellerconstructed according to our invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionof the same.

A is the hollow drum; B B, the flanges thereof, forming walls orinclosures for limiting the passage of the water; and O O, thecontinuous blade between the said walls or inclosures. Thepropelling-wheel is to be fitted on each 6 side of the vessel at such alevel that the lower surface of the drum A will rest on the water, andthereby increase the vessels buoyancy and power of flotation, the drumon each side rolling over the surface of the water as the vessel ispropelled through it.

The continuous serpentine blade 0 O is arranged in a circle of largerdiameter than that of the drum A, with or without a space between it andthe periphery of the drum, and 7 5 each successive portion 0 of saidblade is caused, by the revolution of the propellingwheel, to act on thewater inclosed within such portion and the flange or wall B at each sidethereof, as well as by the under surface of the drum A, the only outletfor the water being in the rear of the propeller.

By the arrangement of the propellers above described each portion of thecontinuous blade, in succession, is caused to take a firm hold of 8 thevolume of water confined in the manner described, and the ordinarytendency of a paddle-wheel to raise a swell in the water will beobviated, thereby rendering our improved propeller the better adaptedfor use on canals and c rivers, where it is important to avoid injury tothe banks thereof.

Our improved propeller is also adapted to increase the speed of vessels,and in order to acquire a still greater speed more than one 5 pair ofdrums or propelling-wheels may be applied thereto.

In the foregoing description reference has been had to a propeller-wheelwith a drum; but our invention is not confined to such con- 10ostruction. When the drum is dispensed with the walls or inclosuresbetween which the continuous blade is fitted will be strengthened, asrequired, by suitable ribs or stays.

We are aware that a propeller has been made comprising a drum having anumber of-flanges upon its periphery, and a series of separate bladesset at an angle in the spaces between the flanges, the blades inadjacent spaces being set at opposite angles. We are also aware that apaddle-wheel has been made comprising two annular flanges and twocontinuous zigzag blades, arranged in circular form, side by side,between said flanges, an open space being left between each blade andthe adjacent flange, and also between the two blades; and we are alsoaware that a paddle-wheel has been made comprising two continuous spiralblades arranged side by side upon a shaft and supported by arms, buthaving no flanges or disks inclosing them. We therefore make no claim toany such constructions.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

A rotary propeller or wheel composed of a drum, disks or flanges atopposite ends of said drum, projecting beyond the periphery thereof andforming side Walls, and a continuous serpentine blade fitting aroundsaid drum, extending from one wall to the other, and entirely fillingthe space between said walls, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

JOHN MGLENNAN. BIGHD. OWEN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM SPENoE, ALFRED H. J ONES.

